Mixed fleets with self-driving long-haul trucks and traditional human-driven regional routes could help the trucking industry address the problem of an aging driver workforce, said Uber in a recent company blog post.

The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge announced the 20 Best Fleets to Drive For in 2018, recognizing these fleets for providing exemplary work environments for their truck drivers and independent contractors.

The City of Los Angeles filed lawsuits against three port trucking companies, alleging that each avoided paying drivers proper wages and benefits by intentionally misclassifying hundreds of truckers as independent contractors.

Instructional Technologies Inc., providers of training solutions for the transportation industry, has introduced the new Pro-Tread Mobile App, giving drivers options on when, where and how they can complete required training.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will be issuing to haulers of agricultural commodities a 90-day temporary waiver of the new electronic logging device mandate, and also is clarifying how ELDs will work with the personal conveyance provision and the 150 air miles hours-of-service exemption of the hours of service regulations.

Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants the U.S. government to only provide federal contracts to trucking companies that pay workers a living wage and benefits, he stated in a letter to President Trump last week.

The Department of Transportation plans to add four prescription opioids – hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone and oxycodone – to the existing DOT drug-testing panel for screening truck drivers and other "safety-sensitive" transportation workers. This final rule is to take effect on Jan. 1.

With less than six weeks until the Dec. 18 deadline for fleets to install mandatory electronic logging devices, it looks like there will still be a lot of smaller fleets who will be at risk for citations and fines – or who will give up on the industry altogether.

Maverick Transportation has announced a 5-cent per mile pay increase for drivers in its Flatbed and Glass over-the-road divisions. The pay increase is applicable to all drivers in both divisions, including student drivers.

The U.S. Postal Service has begun using a virtual reality-based simulator to train drivers in its Brooklyn, New York, and Tampa, Florida, districts, according to the company that provides the equipment.

ORLANDO – For the first time since 2006, the driver shortage is number one on the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual top industry issues report, surging six spots higher, followed by two concerns closely related to drivers: ELDs and hours of service.

ORLANDO - The trucking industry could be short 50,000 drivers by the end of 2017, warned American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello Sunday at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition.